


Long Way Down

by tatertotarmy



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 00:42:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3830794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatertotarmy/pseuds/tatertotarmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian didn't lie when he said that he needed time to adjust the spell to take them back to their own time. Now, Reilya Lavellan is alone in the desolate future, with nothing but her thoughts and the demons that whispered temptations in her ears. Side story to Three Dalish Walk Into a Conclave. Prompt 1 of the 500 themes challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Way Down

**Author's Note:**

> Though this is a side story to Three Dalish Walk Into a Conclave, you do not need to read it in order to enjoy. 
> 
> Prompt: The Vacuum of Time

Reilya held in her breath with her back pressed against the cold stone. She forced herself to look up to the bright green sky and traced the circling clouds in a pathetic attempt to keep both her panic and magic down. Demonic whispered filled her ears with temptations to _let herself go_ and _let them give her the power to get home_ and it only made bile begin to form in the middle of her throat. It was getting harder and harder to ignore them now that the world had gone to hell. With the veil torn asunder and the Elder One chasing any sane people to the ends of Thedas, the demons didn’t need to wait for sleep to tempt her into giving up her body. 

She could feel the ground shake as the pride demon grew closer. Her mark pulsed erratically, and she bit down on her lip to keep herself from making a sound as she clenched her left hand. She wished that she had just died after Redcliffe. It would have been easier. She would rather have died as soon as the rift in time opened. It would have left her with some hope that the rest of the Inquisition would take care of the Breach. Now she was alone in this damned place, with no hope of ever returning back to her own time.

And all it took was a miscalculation. Dorian had pulled her away from the corpses of Cassandra, Leliana, and Valent and into another hell. Six more months in the future. Six months further into hell and dropped into an abandoned, red lyrium-infested Redcliffe Castle as the Elder One took his demon army elsewhere in Thedas.

And as far as she knew, everyone she had met since the Conclave was dead. And soon, she would be dead as well. Reilya had never been one for religion, even when she lived by the Creators in her clan, but she hoped that she would meet them all again on the other side. There was no point in fighting back. 

As another footstep resounded dangerously close, she closed her eyes only to see flashes of Dorian’s body. He had been so adamant on keeping the demons off her trail. He had been so distraught after their second time travel, so much that Reilya found herself missing his detached curiosity from before. He had said that she was their one hope when he hid her beneath the rubble of a temple. It took all of her willpower to keep herself from screaming when the demons came one after the other: an endless horde. His body was torn asunder, all for her damned mark.

She didn’t deserve to be saved. Her only worth was contained in a single mark that probably couldn’t handle the giant rift that had overtaken the sky. All she had was her mark and blood on her hands.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

Reilya opened her eyes to see bright blue eyes: a boy perched in front of her, nose inches from her face.

Just as she opened her mouth to call out, he reached out to cover it, “Don’t. He’ll hear you. Follow me.” She stared as the boy quickly pulled his hand back, as if he never wanted to touch her in the first place. Reilya looked long at the boy. Where had he come from? What did he want from her?

Why was someone else alive? It had been just Dorian and her, until he was torn bit by bit. Every single house they had visited was in shatters, ever town was covered in red lyrium, every pathway littered with demons of all sorts. Why was there a boy sitting here, trying to help her?

The boy turned and began to sneak off into the rubble of another building, being careful to gesture what were safe paths or not. Reilya paused. What if the boy was another demon to tempt her? As the thought passed through her mind, her legs began to move to follow. It didn’t matter whether the boy was a demon or not. Either way, she would die. Did the cause even matter?

He walked through winding paths, snaking his way through the ruins of the village as if he had lived there for years. They snuck through hidden passages, holes in the rubble, ajar doorways, paths crystalized with lyrium, and through buildings filled with skeletons. Reilya followed mindlessly, occasionally brushing her red bangs from her eyes. It took what felt like an hour to finally escape the village and into a cluster of trees where the demons weren’t watching. The boy stopped once they were hidden, and Reilya let herself drop next to a tall, thick tree. She hadn’t realized just how weak her legs felt.

“They’ve been waiting for you.”

Reilya looked up to the boy, eyebrows furrowed. The boy looked down at her with a simple look, as if she was supposed to know the meaning behind his words. Was it the demons? Or did he mean the Elder One, waiting to take back the mark that buzzed against her skin?

“Not the demons,” the boy spoke, throwing her off guard, “Them…red hair, eyes avoiding. She looks from the man to the horse and doesn’t want to go. Why did I let her go, him too? They’re both gone, gone forever, fallen. _Lethallan._ ”

Her eyes snapped to meet his, her body stirring at the familiar elven word. She watched, waiting for him to say more. He simply stared back, not making any move to speak again.

“W…” she paused, wincing when the air scratched her throat – when was the last time she had talked, “Who are you?”

“Cole,” he spoke simply, “I know where they are.”

“Show me.”

 

The journey took a week, most of it uphill with frequent stops along the way when Cole informed her that she needed to eat. Whatever questions she might have had for him before she fell through the rift were long since dried up. He was just Cole, the boy who was leading her to _them_ , whoever _they_ may be. 

As they entered a mountain range, Cole had explained just where they were headed. It was a safe place, somewhere beyond civilization that the bald elf – a description that cracked a smile on Reilya’s dried lips – had led them once the Breach expanded again. While Cole had not specified just how many people were still alive within its walls, she could tell it wouldn’t be a lot. Throughout their entire trek, Reilya still had a hard time truly believing if anyone would be there. 

Now, the two stood on the bridge looking towards the castle situated tightly within the mountains. Skyhold, the very place that Cole had mentioned. It was striking, a stone relic that stood proud against the sky. Vines climbed the walls and Reilya could see plants sticking out from the crevices despite the mountain’s cold climate. 

All she could see was just another ruin filled with bodies.

“They’re here,” Cole spoke as he continued on towards the opened gates. Reilya followed behind, eyes beginning to trace different sets of footprints in the snow. Could others possibly be there?

The second they entered the castle, Reilya heard voices echoing off of the walls. It was a foreign sound, and she nearly believed it to be the demons again. Except they weren’t tempting her, unless the potential of human contact was temptation enough. It was a wonder that a lust demon had not tried that on her months ago.

As their footsteps echoed throughout the castle, the talking died down to a silence. Reilya looked around to see patched tents, dying fires, stacks of firewood, baskets of herbs, and sleeping rolls that were scattered across the cold ground. 

“Who is it?”

A distinct whisper entered her ears. Reilya snapped her head upwards to the stone walls. Where did that voice come from? It was a familiar voice, one from a long time ago.

From above, looking down at them, was a head full of bright red hair, “Oh…it’s Cole…and…?”

Long, red hair. A face full of hesitant kindness and shallow cheeks from weeks of stress and starvation. A person who Reilya could never forget, someone who helped raise her and teach her the ways of magic. Daera.

Their eyes widened as they traced over Reilya’s body, “It’s…it can’t be…” Reilya stared, watching as Daera turned back to say something to someone behind them. The voices above grew, but it meant nothing to Reilya. Daera was alive. There were others alive.

“Wait!”

A harsh voice broke through the chatter. Cole took another step closer to her as another figure appeared from above. Blonde hair, a face distorted from stress and addiction, and ceremonial armor with countless scratches and holes in it from combat. Reilya could hardly recognize him through the new scars and wrinkles that crossed his face, but it was clear just who he was. Cullen, former leader of the Inquisition’s forces, now looked down at her with suspicion and fear.

As soon as he appeared, he was gone. Seconds later, he was walking down the staircase with Daera and other unarmed humans close behind. Reilya turned to look at him and Cole took a step forward, one hand on his blade. 

“ _Lethallan_ …is that really you…?” Daera spoke in disbelief. Reilya looked over at them and gave a blank stare. What was she supposed to say? That she still lived, even though thousands had died in her absence? That Cassandra, Valent, Leliana, and Dorian died for her, only for it to amount to nothing? The mark pulsed against her skin, reminding her of just what this was all caused by.

Cullen grunted, “No…it can’t be…she hasn’t changed at all.”

Cole took another step forward, “She is not a demon.”

“What are you saying…?” Daera asked.

“She hasn’t changed. That can’t be her. What did you bring here?” Cullen unsheathed his sword, “Answer me.”

“Cole wouldn’t bring something bad here,” Daera looked towards the two newcomers, “Reilya…”

“She isn’t a demon. This is not the Circle,” Cole explained, “Please. She needs help.”

Reilya eyed the blade in Cullen’s hands. She had found people, but it only made her think of what she hadn’t done. Thoughts turned to those she had lost, the opportunity that had been squandered. How could anyone help? Dorian was the only one who could fix it with time magic, and now he was dead.

Cullen readied his blade and took a step forward. Reilya stared blankly, wondering if it would be easier for him to believe she was just a demon. Knowing this hellish world, she could have been possessed without her knowing. They wouldn’t have to know disappointment in the very person they put on a pedestal. It could just be a demon trying to lure them into the open.

The next moments were quick. Cullen charging, Cole pulling out his blades in defense, and Daera staring from the sidelines with a conflicted look on their face. Reilya watched the world go into slow motion as the fighting began. Cole tried to deflect Cullen’s blade as he spoke words that were lost in the white noise. Cullen’s eyes were locked on her own like a lion locked on prey.

The spell broke when Reilya felt burning in her side. She looked down to see a sword piercing her side, blood flowing freely and dripping down the edge of the blade. As she slowly looked up, she recognized the shock etched on Cullen’s face. She could see Daera screaming and running down the steps to help. Cole dropped his blades and hurried back to her side. Reilya felt something lift off of her as she felt the burning spark on her nerves. Demons couldn’t bleed, and at the very least she knew that a demon hadn’t snuck into her since she arrived on this miserable landscape.

 

Reilya awoke with pain and a tight bind around her torso. When she opened her eyes, she could see the night sky above her and Daera sitting next to her. She tried to move, but fire ignited on her side and she was forced to lie back down. Daera looked down at her with furrowed eyebrows.

“Don’t move, Reilya…please…” Daera instinctually raised their hands above her injury before they flinched and pulled them back, “We can only do so much without magic…” Reilya nodded in understanding. Ever since Dorian and she had gotten cornered by demons, it was apparent that magic use was like a beacon to the demon army. They could sense it, and using it meant the demons would swarm.

“Cole told us everything…” Daera continued, “Sorry…he can look into thoughts. He used it to help me fight off an envy demon. So…we know what happened.”

Reilya turned her head away from Daera, ready to hear the disappointment.

“I…understand what you’ve been through. I don’t think you know just how strong you are to keep going. Don’t ever think I’ll reject you for this.”

Reilya took in a shaky breath and moved her head to show that she was still listening.

“Cullen’s taken this all harshly…but he’s feeling guilty about this. We’ve all seen demons that’ve done that. We couldn’t know it was you unless we…did that…”

She heard a sigh and a long pause.

“Reilya…please stay. We’re just trying to survive. We don’t have anyone left. Please…”

Reilya was still for a long while. She looked at all of the countless people in sleeping in the middle of the courtyard. Thin people who are just trying to survive another day. Would they ever forgive her for what she’d done? 

Still, Reilya found herself nodding. Even though she didn’t deserve this, she would try to survive for another day.


End file.
